Carrie Underwood Kicks Off 2018 CMA Fest With Fan Club at the Grand Ole Opry [Pictures]

Carrie Underwood gave her fan club members a night to remember at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Tuesday night (June 5). The superstar hit the stage of the country music institution for a four-song set to help launch the 2018 CMA Music Festival.

"This is the week," Underwood told the Opry crowd, according to Nashville's Tennessean newspaper. "There’s so much stuff going on this week, and we’re just glad to be a part of it and glad to be at the Opry tonight. Ten years of being an Opry member, and I don’t know where the time goes. I hope for so, so, so, so many more."

Underwood began her set with one of her earliest hits, "Wasted," then moved directly on to her latest single, "Cry Pretty," which is the title track of a new album she will release in September. That album is Underwood's first since she announced a new deal with Capitol Nashville in 2017, and the song is her first release since she suffered a devastating fall at her home in November, causing facial injuries that required 40-50 stitches to close. Underwood owned the stage at the 2018 ACM Awards in April when she returned to the spotlight for the first time since her accident, revealing no lasting damage to her face while debuting the new song.

The singer continued her Opry set on Tuesday night with "Dirty Laundry" before closing with "Before He Cheats," inviting the audience to sing along to the latter. Though she's a longtime Opry veteran, Underwood was as effusive as a new performer when she thanked her fans for coming out to be a part of the special night.

“I think every time I’m on this stage it just gets better and better, to be honest,” she gushed. “I still can’t believe I’m a member of this [Opry] family, and it’s an incredible family to be a part of. It’s still amazing that I get to be on this stage."

Underwood is also slated to perform at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Friday night (June 8) as part of the nightly CMA Fest concerts. The CMA Music Festival officially runs from June 7-10 in Nashville. Underwood will release her next album, Cry Pretty, on Sept. 14.